1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to data networks and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for transferring data across a protocol bridge.
2. Background Information
Fibre Channel is a computer communications protocol designed to provide for higher performance information transfers. Fibre Channel allows various existing networking protocols to run over the same physical interface and media. In general, Fibre Channel attempts to combine the benefits of both channel and network technologies.
A channel is a closed, direct, structured, and predictable mechanism for transmitting data between relatively few entities. Channels are commonly used to connect peripheral devices such as a disk drive, printer, tape drive, etc. to a workstation. Common channel protocols are Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) and High Performance Parallel Interface (HIPPI).
Networks, however, are unstructured and unpredictable. Networks are able to automatically adjust to changing environments and can support a larger number of connected nodes. These factors require that much more decision making take place in order to successfully route data from one point to another. Much of this decision making is done in software, making networks inherently slower than channels.
Fibre Channel has made a dramatic impact in the storage arena by using SCSI as an upper layer protocol. Compared with traditional SCSI, the benefits of mapping the SCSI command set onto Fibre Channel include faster speed, connection of more devices together and larger distance allowed between devices. In addition to using SCSI, several companies are selling Fibre Channel devices that run Internet Protocol (IP).
Fibre Channel continues to expand into the storage markets, which will make use of its benefits over traditional channel technologies such as SCSI. Being able to access mass storage devices quicker and from greater distances is very attractive to such applications as multimedia, medical imaging, and scientific visualization. One of the issues with transferring data across a protocol bridge, such as a bridge between Fibre Channel and a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus operating in accordance with the PCI-X standard, which is commonly referred to in the art as a PCI-X bus, is the lack of available bandwidth afforded by prior art systems. Thus, there is a need for an improved system of data transfer in which bandwidth is maintained.